Between Heats With Billy Stairmand

Jono Smit captures Billy Stairmand during some down time away from the pressure of the World Qualifying Series. Raglan’s favourite surfer has battled funding issues as he campaigns the toughest qualifying series in the world.

Born in the Waikato, Derek has worked as a photographer since 1994. During that time he has surfed and photographed extensively throughout New Zealand the Pacific, South Africa and Australia. Derek founded New Zealand Surf Journal in 2018 to "raise the tide for all boats" by shining a light on the New Zealand surf industry. He lives in Dunedin with his wife, Rachael and three children, Taya, Rewa and Keo.
Derek was recently named New Zealand Geographic Photographer of the Year for 2018.

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New Zealand Surf Journal is the home of New Zealand surfing. We exist to celebrate the inspiring people, places and culture of surfing in New Zealand. We support New Zealand's best surf photographers, writers and thinkers who tell the story of wave riding in New Zealand ... as it happens. Occasionally raw, mostly inspirational, but always at the heart of it all.